Pardew On Big Fixture Ahead

4 November 2016

Alan Pardew reported at his press conference on Friday morning that a good week's training had taken place as the squad prepare for the game against Burnley, on the back of results that have not been a fair reflection on the player's performances.

"Sometimes the way that the Premier League fixture list is compiled makes it very difficult," he said. "We’ve had Leicester away, who won the league, and Liverpool at home, both are tough fixtures; the West Ham game we kick ourselves about.

"Our fans know that in all three performances we put in a decent display but at times you need a bit of luck or a couple of decisions to go your way, so I am not overly concerned."

The manager believes that his squad can make the most of the prize that could come out of this game, and knows that his players have a resilience that is vital when playing at this level.

"This is a big fixture for both Burnley and ourselves because it could propel one of us into the top 10 if we were to win it so that’s what we want to do," he added.

"This group is a fantastic one and a good one to work and I’m proud to do so. They always give me everything they’ve got, but in the last couple of games we have just fell short but there are no concerns on my part.

"The first goal in a match in the Premier League is vital and it is important not to concede it but we have on too many occasions. Having said that our reaction has been strong so that bodes well.

"We will start scoring the first goal in a game and we are team with a good resilience, so will be difficult to play against when that happens."